Road Trip To Love
by melanieintn
Summary: Bella and her mom take a road trip during the summer. They meet up with the Cullens, and love blooms between Edward and Bella. Bella discovers life, love, and family on her trip of a lifetime. 3rd Place Showers to Flowers, Canon, Vampire, E/B, Lemon, AU


**Disclaimer: **All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

**A/N: Third place winner in the Showers to Flowers Contest. The ones that voted, did you guess right on which one was mine? **

**Renee is single, and has never met Phil. This one-shot story takes place during the summer before Bella's senior year of high school.**

~ooo000ooo~

**Bella POV**

School was over for the year, and I was packing for the road trip of a lifetime, as my mom called it. She wanted to have one last hurrah, before I flew off and left the nest. However, I didn't plan on doing any flying. After we got back from the road trip of a lifetime, she was going to drive me up the coast to Washington. She would be trying to spend every last minute that she could with me. I was going to live with my dad and attend my senior year in Forks, Washington. I really didn't have any friends, so it wasn't a big deal to go to a different school for my senior year. I was even thinking about attending college in Seattle. So in reality, I would be getting used to the area ahead of time, and my transition to college would be easier.

It didn't take me long to finish packing. I was a simple girl at heart; so t-shirts, jeans, shorts, bathing suits, under things, tennis shoes, flip-flops, and a few personal products were about all I needed. I didn't wear make-up, nor did I do anything fancy with my hair; so I didn't need a lot of products or hair equipment to be carted along. Mom on the other hand, had three times the amount of luggage that I had packed. I was glad our car trunk was large, or I would have to give up the back seat for the times that I just wanted to stretch my legs out.

Her excitement was contagious, and I was actually looking forward to the trip. We started out early on a Monday morning; and we headed up to Flagstaff, and then went on to the Grand Canyon. I had seen the Grand Canyon a few times since moving to Arizona, but I never got tired of the splendor. We were going to take a small hiking tour, but even a small one was putting me on edge. I was so clumsy that I could see myself tumbling over into the mouth of the canyon. But mom insisted that everything would be fine, and I wouldn't fall in the canyon. I was hoping she was right because I definitely didn't want to be right this time.

When we arrived at the tour office, it looked like several people were going to be in the group. Mom hurried into the office to pay our fee; and I stayed outside and took in the view, it was unbelievable. I felt eyes on me, and I looked around to detect who was making the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. I saw a group of five gorgeous people looking my way. I looked behind me to see why they were looking this way, and there was nothing behind me. I wondered why they were looking at me.

The short pixie-looking girl walked up to me, and she introduced herself.

"Hi, I'm Alice. Are you going to take the tour today? My siblings, boyfriend, and I are taking it. I have never seen the Grand Canyon before today. Have you ever gotten to take a tour?" she asked, without taking a breath.

"Hi, I'm Bella and yes, my mom and I are taking the tour; but I have never taken a hiking tour before today. However, I have seen the Grand Canyon from a helicopter," I said to her.

"Oh, I bet the helicopter ride would be fun. I will have to remember that form of tour for the next time I come back," she was saying, as my mom came out of the office.

"Well, hello there, are you taking the tour too?" my mom asked her.

"Yes, my siblings, boyfriend, and I are taking it," she said as she pointed to the four other beautiful people standing a little bit away from the other hikers. Mom seemed to take in all five of them, and her mind seemed to go blank for a few seconds.

She seemed to snap out of it and said: "You all seem about the same age as Bella. You will give her someone else to talk to, instead of her old mom."

"Mom, you are not old; so don't put yourself down. You are fun to be around," I told her.

"Yes, but a girl your age needs friends her own age, and not her mom all the time," she said to me and then turned to Alice. "Where do you live?" she asked her.

"Forks, Washington," Alice answered.

I choked on the drink of water I was taking from my water bottle. "Forks, Washington, that is where I am moving to at the end of the summer. I am going to Forks High for my senior year," I choked out.

She jumped up and down and squealed out: "I will be a senior too. You will be going to school with Edward and me."

I looked over at the group and wondered which one was Edward. None of the others had come forward, and the boy with the copper hair kept giving me a funny look. It looked like he was trying to figure something out. The blond boy had not taken his eyes of Alice, so I would guess that he was the boyfriend. The blonde girl looked like she would drown, if it rained; and the big hulk of a guy should look scary, but instead reminded me of a big teddy bear.

I was about to ask her which one was Edward, when the tour guide announced that it was time to leave. We followed along, not saying much. We all seemed awe filled, as we took in the majesty of the view. Alice continued to stay close to me during the hike; and even for her small size, she was able to prevent me from taking several spills. She was so agile; that she looked like she was dancing, instead of hiking. I was just glad she kept me from falling, and probably cutting my hands and knees open on the rocks. When we got to our destination to rest for a while, mom took the opportunity to talk to Alice.

"Where are you going when you leave the Grand Canyon?" she asked.

"We are going to Albuquerque, New Mexico; and then driving down into Texas," Alice answered.

Mom just gave me a look, and it was obvious to me what she was going to ask her. But for once, I didn't mind my mom's inquiring nature.

"Would you like to travel together with us? That is exactly where we are headed; and if you don't mind us tagging along with you, it would be safer than traveling separately. That way, you and Bella can get to know each other better; and she will already have a friend, when she starts school in the fall," mom asked her.

"No, I don't mind. Do you mind guys, if we travel together with Bella and her mom?" she asked her companions.

They all said it was fine, and then she turned to me and asked, "You don't mind if we travel together, do you, Bella?"

"No, it is fine with me. The way you have been keeping me from falling on the hike, maybe you can keep me from breaking an arm or leg during the trip. I rarely go on a trip, and come back unscathed. We always know where the hospital is located when we go on a trip. Most people know where to locate a Wal-Mart when they go on vacation; we make sure we knew the location of the nearest hospital," I said jokingly. But in all actuality, I was serious; I knew how accident-prone I was.

"Well, in that case; I think it is time that I introduce you with whom you will be traveling. This is my brother, Emmett; my sister, Rosalie; my boyfriend, Jasper; and my other brother, Edward," she said as she pointed to each one. Emmett walked up to me, picked me up, gave me a big bear hug, and swung me around. Before I knew what was happening, Edward had jerked me out of Emmett's arms, and placed me behind him. I obviously knew that Emmett meant no harm, but I guess Edward didn't see it that way. Emmett raised his hands in the air, and backed away. Rosalie just huffed, and walked over to Emmett. I peeked around Edward, and waved to Jasper; and he smiled and waved back. Alice bounced over behind Edward, and whispered for me to ignore Rosalie; and I whispered back that I had already figured that out.

I didn't know if Edward would let me out from behind him or not. He had been getting closer to me as we had been hiking, and I now felt the safety in being close to him. I laid my hand on his back, and he felt as cool as Alice's hands had been during the hike. I was beginning to wonder if the beauty and the coldness thing were hereditary, but that wasn't the only thing that they had in common. They all had pale white skin and golden eyes, although Edward's eyes turned black every now and then.

Mom seemed to be taking everything in, and running it through her brain. I almost saw the wheels turning in her head. She was scatter-brained, slightly irresponsible, and acted way too young for her age; but she was very intuitive.

The tour guide signaled that it was time to return, and we all started our way back to our starting point. Edward moved aside, so that I could get ahead of him. Mom walked ahead of me and Alice was beside me. Edward stayed close behind me, and I could almost tell exactly where he was located. I felt this hum of electricity that was telling me where and how far he was from me. I tripped so many times that Alice finally laced her arm with mine; and she steadied me as we walked.

We made it back to the tour office, and I quickly went to the bathroom for a much needed potty break. When I came back outside, mom was telling Alice about our plans to get a hotel room in Flagstaff. We went to our cars, and they followed us to the hotel. We checked into the hotel; and we all decided we needed a shower, before we considered where we wanted to eat. We made plans to meet in the lobby in an hour.

I was second guessing my wardrobe now. I wish I had packed a few sun dresses. But never in my wildest imagination, would I have dreamed of meeting up with the most handsome boy on the planet. So after my shower, I threw on my best t-shirt, jeans, and a pair of flip-flops. We all met up in the lobby at the same time.

Edward seemed to gravitate to me and mom just observed, and I knew eventually she would have something to say about this whole situation. We decided to eat at Black Barts Steakhouse and Saloon; they had live entertainment, in addition to good food. I had heard about the place, but I had never eaten there, before tonight. Once we arrived and got seated, somehow I found myself between mom and Edward.

Mom ordered the broiled salmon, I ordered the veggie kabob, and everyone else ordered rare prime rib. Emmett told the waitress that he wanted his steak to be able to moo. I hoped he was joking because I couldn't stand the sight or smell of blood.

When we got our meals, I concentrated on my meal only. I could actually smell the blood from their steaks. I was not sure that I would mention going to another steakhouse in the future. However, the entertainment was great; and I soon forgot about what the others were eating, as I watched and listened to the music.

It must not have taken long for Edward to eat because he was soon playing with my hair. I didn't even know if he realized that I felt him. My hair was long, and it was over the back of my chair. But the weird electrical connection that we had was letting me know what he was doing. I looked over at him and smiled; and it seemed to catch him off guard, and he moved his hand away. I didn't mean for him to do that, so I took his hand and placed it back.

Before the evening was over, I had leaned into Edward and watched the show. Mom just gave us a knowing smile, and then turned to Alice. "What time are we planning to leave in the morning? I want to make it to Albuquerque in time to go to the aquarium tomorrow afternoon, and I want to go to the BioPark zoo the next day," she asked Alice.

"We will be ready to go whenever you want to leave. We are early risers, so just tell us when you will be ready; and we will be as well," she said.

They decided on a time; and we paid, left, and headed back to the hotel. I didn't want to leave Edward's presence, but I really had no choice. I couldn't figure out what was wrong with me. I had never felt this way about someone.

As I got ready for bed, I felt his presence was close. I didn't want mom to get suspicious, so I didn't say anything. After she fell asleep, I got up and unlocked the balcony door; and I went back to bed. I soon heard the door slide open and then it closed, and I felt him got even closer. I did not know what he was going to do; and I was about at the point of passing out because I just realized that I was holding my breath. All air left my lungs, when I felt his hand in my hair. He stroked my hair; and I felt him got close to my ear, as he started humming a beautiful lullaby. My body instantly relaxed, and I felt myself succumbing to his ministrations. I slowly drifted off to sleep, and I felt safer than I had ever been in my entire lifetime.

Morning dawned early, and I jerked awake; I was afraid that he was still in the room, and my mom would catch him. But to my surprise, he was nowhere to be found. Instead, there were some beautiful white flowers on my pillow. Before I could hide them, mom walked out of the bathroom. She was toweling her hair dry, and looked at me and then the flowers.

"Your flowers are pretty. He gave you some white freesias and that means he was quite intuitive, for a young man. They mean innocence, but alas, I was not sure how much longer that will be true," she said cryptically, as she continued to get ready.

"Mom, what are you talking about? How do you know he gave me flowers?" I asked her, while turning a bright shade of red.

"Well, you certainly didn't give yourself flowers, and you probably didn't even know what kind of flowers they were, until I told you. Plus, they were lying on your pillow, and you were still sound asleep this morning. The balcony door was somehow unlocked, and he could have easily slipped in here and placed them on your pillow. It doesn't take a genius to figure that out, and a blind man can see how you two were drawn to each other yesterday. Both of you orbited around each other, and you just met. I can't put my finger on it, but that group of kids is different; they aren't normal. The other two males act exactly toward their companions, as Edward acts around you. He knows where you are every second, and keeps you at a safe distance. He stays close enough that he could swoop in and save you, if it was necessary. I may be a lot of things, Bella, but unobservant is not one of them. Now hurry up, and get ready. Your beau is waiting for you," she said, as she started running a brush through her hair.

I was too shocked to comment, and so I began rushing around the room. I got ready as quickly as possible. The flowers had a little water vial attached to the end of the stem, so I didn't have to worry about putting them in some water. I repacked my suitcase, and I was ready to leave about the same time as my mom finished primping. We headed to the front desk to check out, and then on to our car for our suitcases to be placed in the trunk.

Before we made it out of the front lobby, Edward appeared out of nowhere; and he grabbed mine and mom's bags. He then followed us to the car, and placed them in the trunk for us. I noticed that the others were all applying some sort of cream to their arms and faces. I guessed they must be allergic to the sun; by the way they were coating the cream on the areas that would be exposed to the sun.

Mom thanked him profusely, and I quickly thanked him; and I then jumped in the back seat, while clinging to my flowers. I knew it would be a pretty long trek to Albuquerque, and I wanted to stretch my legs out and get a little reading done. I carefully propped my flowers up in the floorboard; because if I put them anywhere else, they would get crushed or shrivel up in the hot Arizona sun.

We stopped at McDonald's, and got a quick to-go breakfast; and then headed out onto the open road. I stretched out in the back seat, and stuck my feet out the window. I thought better of having my flip-flops hanging out in the open flowing air; so I pulled my feet back in the car, and removed the shoes. I resumed my position, and pulled out my worn copy of Wuthering Heights. We made it to Albuquerque in no time, and we had to have set a record or something. We had followed Edward's car because he said that he had a radar detector. It had to have worked because we didn't get caught; and we were definitely speeding.

The group decided to get some fast food for lunch, and then have a sit down dinner after the aquarium tour. We had a great afternoon at the aquarium and for some reason; the marine life didn't care for the Cullens and Hales. Whenever they approached a tank, whatever resided in that particular tank would move away from them. At first, I began to think it was a coincidence. So when it happened every single time, it confirmed my suspicions of them being different. Mom gave me a knowing look, and I just rolled my eyes at her. I didn't want to encourage her. It was one thing that I knew they were different; it was a completely different situation for her to know.

We decided to go to The Artichoke Café for dinner. I ordered artichoke ravioli, and mom ordered the free-range chicken dinner. Of course, the rest of the group ordered rare steak. I didn't have live music to distract me tonight, but Edward's hand caressing my hair seemed to keep me calm. For some reason the smell of the blood was not bothering me as bad as it did the previous night. I looked around the table, and noticed that Jasper seemed to be concentrating on something. He noticed me looking at him; and he seemed to lose his concentration for a minute, and a quick wave of nausea hit me.

No, it couldn't be him that was keeping me from getting sick. However, I didn't distract him again, until the plates were removed. I then asked them where they were going, once they arrived in Texas.

"We want to take a tour of the Civil War museums, battle locations, and anything pertaining to the Civil War," Jasper answered in a strong southern accent.

"It is almost like we planned this trip together. We had ancestors that fought in the Civil War on the confederate side; and since we are not that far from Texas, I thought it would have ideal locations to tour," mom told him.

Jasper seemed to have an unknown look on his face. "What were some of the names of your ancestors that fought for the Civil War?" he asked her.

"Well, my maiden name is Higginbotham; and I know my great-great-grandfather Higginbotham and his brothers fought, and only he and one of his brothers survived. Then, on my mother's side, the only one I can recall anyone talking about was a Whitlock and he was a great-great uncle. I don't remember the first name, but he disappeared somewhere around Galveston, Texas in 1863," she said.

You could hear a pin drop at the table; I didn't think they were breathing. What had she said that was so startling? Jasper's eyes teared up and it made me feel like crying. Edward seemed to sense my distress, and he moved his hand from my hair to my shoulder and pulled me back into him.

All of a sudden, mom said: "Jasper, his name was Jasper Whitlock. He was Granny Marie's big brother, but I never got to meet her; she died long before I was ever born. That is Bella's middle name, by the way. Her full name is Isabella Marie. Alright guys, I think it is time we got to the hotel because we need to get an early start in the morning," she said, and then got up and headed to the car. She seemed completely oblivious to the frozen, non-breathing entities at the table.

"Guys, snap out of it. I need to go, and I will not leave you sitting here like this," I said, and I got nothing. There were five frozen statues and me sitting at a table. I turned to Edward, and gave him a kiss on the cheek; and they all came to life. Well, alright then, I now lived in a fairy tale; and my kiss could bring people to life. Realization lit up their faces, and they quickly got to moving. We finally made it out to the vehicles, and headed to the hotel.

When we got there, I took my flower inside; because I needed to fill the little tube up with water. Mom made sure that we had a balcony, and winked at me after she checked into the hotel. Well, I saw no need to wait for her to go to sleep before I unlocked the balcony door. But I would like to take a hot bath first, before I let him into the room.

When we got inside the room, mom asked, "Have you ever taken a look at the old family photos, Bella?"

"Yes, I have glanced at them. Why are you asking?"

"Granny Marie had several pictures of her brother, and she even had one of him in his Civil War uniform. They always said that I got my eye color from her. They said she had the bluest eyes, and so did her brother. The picture is not in color, so you can't see his eye color," she said.

"I am still not following you, mom. What does my great-great-great uncle's eye color have to do with anything?" I asked, anxious to get in the tub.

"Never mind, I will tell you later. Go get in the tub, first; and then, I will take my shower," she told me.

I grabbed my items out of the suitcase, and headed into the bathroom. After a good soak, I dried off, got dressed, and headed back out into the room where mom was watching some comedy on the TV.

"Go on and let him into the room, there is no need for him to be standing out there until I go to sleep," she said as she got her items together, and went into the bathroom.

I walked over to the balcony door, and unlocked it; I opened it up and said: "Come on in, it seems mom has the same type of radar for you that I have; or she has a sixth sense or something."

He sheepishly came into the room; and he looked so uncomfortable that I shut off all the lights. The TV gave off enough light that I could see to get around the room. The way Edward moved around in the dark last night, I didn't think he needed any kind of illumination to be able to see. I sat down on the bed, and I finished towel drying my hair; I picked up my hair brush to get the tangles out of it, and Edward removed the brush from my hand. He then sat down on the bed behind me, and carefully ran his fingers though my hair to remove most of the tangles. After most of the tangles were removed, he began to gently brush my hair. This was how mom found us, when she exited the bathroom.

"Ok, kids, keep the noise down, and don't do anything that I wouldn't do," she said as she climbed into bed, and seemed to quickly fall asleep.

I knew I could light up the whole room with how red my face had gotten. I placed my head in my hands and groaned.

"You know; your mother is unique. I have never met anyone quite like her," he quietly said.

"You should have been living with her for your whole life. Even though I have lived with her, she still shocks me by the things she does and sometimes says. She knows you are different, Edward, and your frozen state at dinner proved it to me tonight, as well. I still don't have a clue what she said that set you off. All she was talking about was our ancestors, and that should not have shocked you into a frozen state. I think she has figured out more than I have, at this point," I quietly said.

"She has and that means that my family is going to have a conversation with you and her soon. We have secrets that can't be revealed," he said as he finished brushing my hair.

"I figured, as much. We would never reveal your secrets," I said, as I grabbed the remote and switched off the TV. I then crawled under the covers, and scooted over to the edge of the bed. I felt Edward's hand in my hair, and I heard him as he began to hum the soothing lullaby. I wanted to stay awake to be near him, but his gentle touch and beautiful voice lulled me into a restful sleep.

In the morning, I was greeted by some sprigs of lilac that were lying on my pillow. I think their scent was what woke me up. I looked over at mom and asked, "Ok, walking flower encyclopedia, what do these flowers mean?"

"I can't help that I went through a flower phase for a while. Lilacs mean first love. Now get your rear in gear and get moving. We need to pick up some breakfast, before we head to the zoo," she said as she pulled the covers off of me.

I hopped out of bed, and carried my clothes to the bathroom. After I dressed and watered my flowers, we headed out to grab a bite to eat; and then we were ready to visit the zoo.

During the day, I noticed that the animals that were in enclosed areas would shy away from Edward and his family. At different intervals and with certain animals, Edward and his family's eyes would turn black, and my mom and I would rush them by the habitats. The bears seemed to excite Emmett, and the wild cats brought out a look in Edward that I had never seen before today. Although in reality, I had only known him for a short time; but I was in tune with his reactions.

Around noon, we stopped to eat at the Cottonwood Café, and then we finished out the trek around the park. We stopped in the Jungle Shop, and Edward bought me a mountain lion stuffed animal. The others giggled, but I was not sure what the joke was behind the mountain lion. I happened to like it, and I remembered how he looked at the ones in the zoo. They obviously meant something to him.

I was exhausted from walking around in the heat at the zoo, and I suggested we go back to the hotel to order room service or something. I really didn't feel up to having a drawn out evening meal. Right now, my only desires were a cold shower and a good foot massage.

Everyone agreed with my suggestion, and we headed back to the hotel. After my shower, I put on my night clothes, which consisted of a tank top and shorts. I had no plans of leaving my room, and Edward had already seen me in my night clothes twice. I went on and unlocked the balcony door, and I asked mom what she wanted for me to order for her. She glanced at the menu; and told me what she wanted, as she headed into the bathroom for her shower.

As I ordered our meal, I heard the balcony door slide open; and I looked over to encounter a freshly dressed Edward, whose hair was still glistening from his recent shower. I shook my head to clear it, as I tried to continue ordering our dinner. However, when I got off the phone, I hoped that I hadn't forgotten anything. Edward's beauty was such a distraction, and he didn't even seem to realize it.

After our food arrived, I tried to offer him some; but he cringed back from my offering. I guessed he was not a vegetable lover. That was when mom asked, "When are you going to reveal you are not human, Edward?" I dropped my fork at her words; I knew they were different, but I never considered that they were not human.

"Alice said to tell you that it will be soon. The time is not right, yet," he said.

"Are you going to tell me what you know, mom? Obviously you have gotten further in your musings than I have. I would like to be in on what you know, at least. Even if we have to wait for what they are going to tell us," I said to her.

"I tried to hint to you last night about your distant Uncle Jasper and eye color, but it seemed to go over your head. The rest you have already noticed, I can tell," she said, as she ate her dinner.

Uncle Jasper, she was talking about seeing his pictures, and that he was supposed to have blue eyes. Well, the only Jasper I knew was Jasper Hale, and he had golden eyes and a strong southern accent. He wanted to tour the Civil War areas in Texas. It couldn't be, could it? I looked to Edward, as my fork dropped from my hand again; and he had an apologetic look on his face. I shook my head, and tried to make sense of where my thoughts were going. No, it couldn't be. Jasper Hale couldn't be my Uncle Jasper. I pushed my plate away; I had suddenly lost my appetite.

Edward pushed it back to me and said: "You need to eat; you expended a lot of energy today with all of the walking that we did."

He picked up the fork, and began to feed me. I let him feed me because he looked so sincere about his concern for my welfare. Then, my mind realized that if Jasper was that old, then how old was Edward? His speech was from a different era, he was polite, gentlemanly, and his name was old-fashioned. I just looked him over closely.

He squirmed at my perusal and said: "You are going to have to tell me what are thinking because I can't read your mind."

Well, of course, he couldn't read my mind. But wait, should he be able to read it? Could he read other people's minds? Today had been the longest that mom and I have spent with them, and they always seemed to be having private conversations amongst themselves.

"Can you read other people's minds?" I asked.

"Yes," he quietly answered.

"Then what is wrong with my mind? Can you read my mom's mind?" I asked.

"Nothing is wrong with your mind, you just seem to have some kind of block or shield protecting it. It is quite nice to be near a quiet mind too. As far as your mom's mind goes, yes, I can read it," he laughed out.

I could only imagine what goes on in her mind. The things that come out of her mouth were unbelievable, at times.

"Hey, don't laugh at my thoughts. I figured out a lot about you, didn't I?" she asked.

"Yes, you did. Your mind is unique and intuitive. I have never come across anyone quite like you before, and it is very refreshing," he said.

We finished up our meals and watched a little TV. We got comfortable sitting on the bed, and he placed my feet in his lap and began to massage them.

"Are you sure that you can't read my mind?" I asked.

"No, why do you ask?" he inquired confused.

"Because I mainly wanted only two things when I got back to the hotel room, and they were a shower and a foot rub. Obviously, you could have no control over the shower, but you are now giving me a foot rub. Thus, the question I asked on mind reading," I smiled and said.

"No, it is common sense on my part. You have been on your feet all day long; and I can see red spots on them, where blisters are trying to form. So, I want to ease your discomfort, and the way to do that is to massage your feet," he said rather smugly. He was obviously proud of himself for finding a solution to a problem, without the ability to read the person's mind.

I just give him a smile, and lay back and enjoyed my foot rub.

I must have fallen asleep to his gentle caresses because I woke up the next morning tucked under the covers, having not remembered going to sleep. On my pillow were some beautiful red flowers and I looked quickly at my mom for her to start talking.

"Those are anemones; they mean anticipation, unfading love, and protection from evil," she said, as she continued to get ready. Well, I like the anticipation and unfading love part; but I didn't want to have the need to be protected from evil. But if evil was out there, Edward was who I wanted protecting me from it.

We both got ready to go, and were soon checking out of the hotel. I had quite a bouquet started, and I wondered how I was going to protect them in the car. Edward showed up beside me with a clear plastic container that I set the flowers down into; and now, they would be protected.

We planned on stopping at a rest area between here and Amarillo, Texas. He gave me a quick peck on the cheek, and we all got in the vehicles. I resumed my spot in the back seat, and held my book in one hand and my other hand was on my cheek where I had been kissed. I could still feel the tingling sensation that his kiss had given me.

When we stopped at the rest stop, it was eerily quiet there. I was glad to be able to stretch my legs. I slowly made my way to the restroom because my legs had gotten stiff from the ride this morning. Before I could exit the restroom, I heard a blood curdling scream that sounded like it was coming from my mom. I rushed out of the bathroom, and I was instantly placed behind Edward.

"Let her go, she is not just some random meal. You can go find food elsewhere," Emmett said.

"Why should I go find food elsewhere when a perfectly good meal is right here in my hands," a man I had never seen before said. He was holding my mom from behind, and he was running his nose up and down her neck.

As I was peeking out from behind Edward, I saw Jasper step forward and tear off his shirt. Everywhere that had been covered with his shirt was sparkling, and I saw faint crescent marks all over his torso.

"Turn her loose or you will be dead before you can finish your last meal," he growled out with deadly authority. The guy started shaking and quickly threw mom at Jasper. He then ran quickly off. Jasper caught her; but at the same time that she hit Jasper, we all heard a couple of loud snaps. She screamed out in pain, and Jasper laid her down on the ground.

Edward was instantly beside her, and began to examine her. He announced that she had broken her leg and arm. He told Jasper to go find some straight sticks, and then Edward picked up Jasper's torn shirt and began to rip it into strips. After Jasper got back with the sticks, he set her arm and leg; and he said that the nearest hospital was a small facility in Santa Rosa. He proceeded to gently pick mom up, and laid her in the back seat of the car; I got in the front passenger seat. He threw his car keys to Jasper, and then got in the driver's seat of our car.

It took us very little time to make it to the small hospital, but I was frozen in the front seat. My mind was trying to make sense of all that had just transpired. Jasper opened the back door, and gently picked mom up, and carried her inside the building. Edward got out of the car, and came around and opened my door. He really took in my condition then; and he picked me up, and sat me down in his lap in the back seat of the car.

"Love, talk to me. Are you alright? Should we get you examined too?" he asked, as he gently ran his hands over my body, checking me for injuries. The stress in his voice seemed to jolt me out of my shocked state.

"No, I am trying to process everything that happened. I am not physically hurt, but my mind can't seem to catch up to what I witnessed," I said.

Alice walked up, and handed me a bottle of water. She said that mom was being x-rayed, and should be in her room in a few minutes. That seemed to snap me to attention because mom needed me; and I was out here wasting time thinking. There would be time later to figure everything out. I took a drink of water, got up out of Edward's lap, and headed into the hospital. I followed Alice to mom's room, and she had already returned from getting her x-rays.

"Well, what are we going to do, kiddo? I don't want you to have to tend to me all summer. There is no way I can continue on with the road trip," she sadly said.

"If you don't mind me suggesting an idea that I have already discussed with mom and dad, we would like to fly you to Forks, Washington; and you will stay with us until your pain subsides, and we can continue the trip. Then, we can rent a van that would accommodate a wheelchair, and we would continue on with our vacation. It is early in the summer and we have plenty of time for you to get some rest and still be able to tour Texas. If that is still what you want to do," Alice said.

"I don't want to put anyone out. I don't want to be a burden on anyone," mom said.

"You won't be a burden. Our mom, Esme, is a stay-at-home mom, and would love the company; and dad is a doctor, so he would be able to make sure that your injuries are healing sufficiently. Plus, we can't separate now; Edward and Bella have become attached to one another and they would experience severe pain if separated," she said.

I knew I was attached to him, but why would I experience pain at our separation? I had only known him for a few days. I gave her a skeptical look.

"Bella, I want you to just think about leaving Edward. Put it in your mind that you are going home to Phoenix and see what happens," she told me.

Alright, I made up my mind that I was going home. The instant I decided on that course of action, a sharp pain shot through my chest, and I fell to my knees. Jasper and Edward fell to their knees also, their hands clinging to their chests. I needed to get this under control, before a doctor walked in and thought we were all having heart attacks.

The thought of never leaving Edward filled my mind, and the pain was instantly gone. Edward and Jasper recovered as quickly, and I felt guilty for causing them pain. I needed to start taking things at face value around them, and stop questioning anything that had to do with Edward.

Mom worriedly looked amongst us to make sure that we had all recovered from our little episode. "I agree to come to Forks, it is obvious that Bella is now part of your group, and I still want to spend some time with her this summer. But I can't afford to be flying around the country, I have budgeted for this trip; and I am afraid that airfare was not included in my calculations," she said.

"Don't worry about the money, and don't even try to argue over it," Edward said to her.

He then turned to me and asked: "Bella, can I speak with you out in the hall?"

I nodded, and followed him out to the hall. He got down on one knee and said: "I know this is short notice, but I will not be able to resist you when you move into the house. You are my mate; and as each day passes, I am finding it more and more difficult to not claim you as my mate. I am from a time where you were married, before you consummated the union. So, would you please marry me? You can have any type of wedding that you desire, in the future. Please say yes, and make me the happiest man on Earth."

I didn't see this coming, and I was really at a loss for words at the moment, "We don't even know each other well. You said you are from an old-fashioned time, and I didn't even know your age," I said.

"There will be plenty of time to talk and get to know each other. Do you ever plan on leaving me or is there anyone one else in your life?" he asked sadly.

"No, I never plan on leaving you; and no, there is no one else in my life, and I have a feeling that I will never want anyone, but you. But marriage has always been a sore spot in my life, my parents' marriage did not work out so well," I said.

"We are not your parents, and I really need this to happen. I need you, Love. I can't wait much longer, and I want to do this right," he begged.

I looked into his eyes, and I couldn't imagine a world where we were not together. If he needed this so badly, then I would give it to him. "Yes, I will marry you," I said and he stood up and hugged me.

Before anything else was said, Alice came out of the room; and she was holding a piece of paper. "You will need to get your mom to sign this paper, before you can get married," she said as she handed it to me, and ran off mumbling something about a notary. I glanced at it, and it was a parental permission document for marriage.

Mom didn't take any convincing, at all. She seemed to have already anticipated it. Since she had also hit her head during the altercation, they were keeping her overnight for observation. Alice and Jasper said that they were going to stay with her, then Alice handed Edward a small box and me a larger one. His eyes got big when he saw it, and then she shoved us out the door to get moving. I took a peek in mine; and all I saw was white see-through fabric, so I quickly shut it back.

There were no waiting periods in New Mexico; so we obtained our license, and were married by noon. That was when I found out that Edward's box contained rings. Alice was a regular boy scout. She seemed prepared for everything. I was pretty sure what item was in my box; I was just too scared to take a good look at it. Edward asked if I wanted something to eat, but I told him that I was way too nervous to eat. So we headed to a hotel, and checked into a room.

I was so scared and nervous that I was shaking. Edward took me in his arms, carried me into the room, and set me on the bed. He then proceeded to go in the bathroom, and started a bath.

When he came back out of the bathroom, he said: "Go take a relaxing bath and calm yourself. I will not do anything to hurt you, and I will not do anything that you don't want me to do. We will go slowly."

He took my hand, and led me into the bathroom; and he set the box that Alice had given me on the vanity. Then, he left the room, shutting the door behind him. I wondered what I had gotten myself into. I slowly removed my clothes and got into the tub. The hot water relaxed my muscles and I felt somewhat calmer now. I got out of the tub and dried off. Unfortunately, it was time to look in the box that Alice had provided for me. I pulled out a white see-through scalloped gown with matching tie-on panties. I guess it could be worse. I put it on, and brushed out my hair.

As I peeked out the bathroom door, I saw a gorgeous Edward lying across the bed in just his underwear, and he was staring at the TV. I didn't think he was actually watching it. He turned his head to look at me, and his eyes instantly went black. I didn't know if that was a good or bad thing. He got up from the bed, and stalked toward me. I think I knew how those animals at the zoo felt yesterday. I took a cautious step back, and he was in front of me in a flash.

"Oh, no, you don't run, Love. You are mine now," he said as he moved my hair to the side, and ran his nose up and down my neck. He placed his cool hands on each side of my face, and brought his lips to mine. He slid his tongue over my lips and when I gasped; his tongue entered my mouth and began its exploration. Our tongues danced together, and we kissed until I needed some air. He seemed to sense this, and he began to kiss down my jaw, and onto my neck. Without his lips leaving me, he picked me up, and carried me to the bed. He then gave me a peck on the lips as he laid me down in the center of the bed.

He crawled up my body, and hovered over me. His lips returned to their passage down my body; and as they neared my breasts, my gown was ripped from my body with one flip of his wrist. He then licked my nipples, and blew a cool breath over them. They both shriveled into tiny peaks, and he hummed in satisfaction. He took one in his mouth, and used his fingers to play with the other one. I had never before felt the sensations that he was creating in me. I felt a vibration coming from his chest, and it sounded like he was purring. He then switched breasts, and was now sucking on the other one. I ran my fingers through his silky hair, and pulled him to me.

He then began kissing down my stomach; and before I could tell him the underwear was tied on, he had them ripped off too. He spreads my legs and kissed the inside of my thighs. I felt his fingers touch my folds, and he then spread them. His cool lips and tongue began to explore my core and nub. He soon had me writhing underneath his ministrations. He inserted his tongue into my core, and then he began sucking on my nub. While doing this, he inserted one finger into my entrance, and then he added another one. I felt sparks as a sensation began to build in my center, and my body automatically clamped down on his fingers. He gently bit down on my swollen nub, and the sparks exploded from the center of my body outward. I screamed out his name in ecstasy.

He was instantly hovering over my body, and he had brought my knees up with his arms; I felt his cold hardness at my heated core, and realized somewhere along the way that he had shed his underwear. I was still in total bliss as his manhood started to slowly enter me.

"That's it, Love. Take me into your luscious body. You belong to me now and I am yours. You are so tight, Love. Oh, you feel so good," he growled into my ear. He pauses when he reached my barrier, but then with one swift thrust he burst through it.

He kissed away the few tears that I shed, and he remained still. I noticed that his coolness was helping the pain subside quickly. So within a few seconds I thrust my hips up into him, signaling that it was alright for him to move. He gently began to thrust into me, and I wrapped my legs around his waist. He placed his hands on each side of my face, and stared intently into my eyes. Even though no words were spoken, I felt as if I was getting plenty of information. He was letting me know that he loved me, he would never leave me, he would protect me, and finally that I was his and his alone.

His thrusts steadily built and the look of pure bliss and adoration crossed his face. His purrs turned to growls, which seemed to turn me on even more. My grip on him tightened and I felt myself coming to completion a second time. He rose up, and placed my legs over his shoulders; the new position seemed to be enough to send me over the edge, and he quickly followed with a growl saying, "Mine!" I felt the cold streams of his semen filling me, and I had never felt surer about anything. I belonged to this man, and he belonged to me.

I may not know what the future held, but I knew that we would face it together. There was a big world out there, and now I had the assurance that I would never have to face it alone. I would have never imaged that a trip of a lifetime would turn into finding a love of a lifetime. There was a lot to contemplate, but right now all I wanted to do was snuggle into the cool, strong arms of my love, my life, and my future.

~ooo000ooo~

I have a blog page set up for this story and it is located at: http:/ /melanieintn .blogspot .com/p/road-trip-to-love-page .html

It has banners, pics, and music.

A/N: Thanks for taking the time to read my story! Leave me a review and let me know what you think.


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